(The crowd of college students are outside on the athletic field sitting on the lawn.
There is a mat in the middle and the College Regent is addressing them. Nikos is
standing next to them as he listens to the College Regent.)
College Regent: "Now I know you are going to miss your normal history professor,
but this fine gentleman has agreed to step in and teach you until he returns. So now I'll step aside and let your guest professor have the honor of continuing on what you were learning before your professor took leave."
(The college students clap respectfully as Nikos stands in front of them.)
Nikos: "Thank you sir. Today we resume on the lesson involving the common things that both the Greeks and the Romans had in common. One of the things they had in common was the fact that they enjoyed the same kinds of entertainment. There were theaters where plays of morality and the like were performed by actors. Now what kinds of plays did they perform."
Student #1: "Satires."
Nikos: "Definitely."
Student #2: "Plays about heroes and gods."
Nikos: "Of course."
Student #3: "They poked fun at government."
Nikos: "Still happens today but yes they did. Now what else did they both have in common."
Student #4: "They had elected bodies for a while."
Nikos: "Actually the Greeks were like that Rome was a republic until Ceaser
became the first Roman Emperor. Still you are partially right about that being what they had in common."
Student #5: "How about sporting events."
Nikos: "Partially right since the Greeks invented the games and the Romans elevated them to a more extreme form of entertainment back then."
Student #1: "They had chariot races and the Greeks didn't."
Nikos: "Correct."
Student #2: "They had gladiatorial combat."
Nikos: "Correct again."
Student #3: "But didn't the Romans have better combat gear than the Greeks.
They wore armor over their bodies and the Greeks wore nothing much than loincloths or fought naked."
(Nikos's look is unseen anger.)
Nikos: "Well tell you what, since there is a mat here how would you like a demonstration of Greek's in combat."
Student #3: "What do you mean."
Nikos: "You look just like a good athlete who seems to be able to handle himself quite well."
Student #3: "You're kidding...."
(Nikos looks at him and the Student seems reluctant."
Student #3: "You really mean that...."
(Nikos gestures meaningfully.)
Nikos: "Your shirt has a Yin Yang symbol on it with the fighting style you're either training in or already mastered. You can prove if your style is better and more superior to mine skills. You do want a good grade don't you."
Student #3: "I already get good grades."
Nikos: "Okay get a better one."
(The Student shrugs and gets up and goes to the middle of the mats to face Nikos.
They are both equal in size and weight as they stare the other down.)
Nikos: "Now what did they both have in common when they first square off."
Student #3: "They honored the leaders, gods and the public paying to see them."
Nikos: "Very good. Let's see you do it."
(The Student cautiously does what he says as does Nikos. As soon as they turn to face each other they come to grips and Nikos quickly goes behind him and belly to back suplexes him hard.)
Student #3: "Ack...."
Nikos: "They had a lot in common when they wrestled opponents taking them down hard without any qualm of the pain to one another....."
Student #3: "Ahhhhhh......."
(Nikos turns it into a chickenwing.)
Student #3: "Ackkkk...."
(The Student works his way out of it barely and applies a chickenwing of his own.)
Student #3: "They also fought to the death......"
(Nikos works his way back up and reverses it applying a full nelson.)
Nikos: "Yes they did but sometimes it wasn't intentional but the Romans were the ones who enjoyed bloodsport more than the Greeks."
Student #3: "My neck....Owwwww....Ahhhhh......."
Nikos: "The Greeks created Pancrase the earliest form of Shootfighting and No Holds Barred combat in UFC. The Romans just copied it and incorportated it into their reportoires."
(Nikos full nelson suplexes the Student and then turns him onto his stomach to apply an anklelock.)
Student #3: "Owww my leg.....It hurts."
Nikos: "Of course it does and that's the other thing Greeks and Romans had in common when it comes to combat. Now when there were battles that could be resolved both armies sent their best fighters to settle things by either armed or unarmed combat......"
Student #3: "You made your point....."
Nikos: "One other thing when they fought one on one usually the victor would either knock the other out, pinned the other or otherwise killed him or made the other submit and....."
(The student taps out.)
Nikos: "Precisely that forced the opponent to tap out battle ended or maybe even the war."
(He releases the student who limps back to the group.)
Nikos: "Now that wasn't too bad now was it. You got a real lesson in combat and a history lesson at the sametime. You know they should do this more often when it comes to history. Great way to get a workout and at the sametime you learn something."
Student #1: "So if we have a war subject we'll play soldier."
Nikos: "Maybe if they'll let you."
Student #1: "Cool."
Nikos: "So let's continue with the lesson."
(The students react enthusiastically except for Student #3 who is still rubbing his ankle as the scene slowly fades to black.)
